Sprinkling pot for condiments



. May 6, 1958 E. THIELE 2,833,447

SPRINKLING POT FOR CONDIMENTS Filed Dec. 14, 1956 /r/GJ ATTORNEYS.'

United States Patent O SPRINKLING POT FOR CONDIMENTS Edmund Thiele, Wiesbaden, Germany Application December 14, 1956, Serial No. 628,299

Claims priority, application Germany December 14, 1955 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-151) This invention relates to a sprinkling pot for condiments of the type described in my prior Patent No. 2,758,753 comprising a lower body member having a perforated cover and adapted to be screwed or slipped on a container, and a lid having spikes projecting downwardly from the lower side of the lid so as to penetrate into the openings for the passage of the substance to be sprinkled, while further spikes are provided on the lower side of the perforated cover between the sprinkling openings so as to comminute and distribute the salt or sugar or other condiment as a result of the shaking movement.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved construction of such a sprinkling pot which is simpler and cheaper than hitherto, in such a way that it is possible to sell the sprinkling pot as a packing together with the condiment without a substantial increase in the price of the condiment.

Another object of the invention is to avoid corrosion caused by the salt or other condiment.

With these objects in view according to the invention the lower lid portion supporting the hinged part of the upper lid consists of an elastic or resilient plastic of synthetic material and is shaped so as to act as a spring for holding the upper lid in its closed and open positions, respectively. Thus, the pivotal mechanism for the upper Alid is greatly simplified and metallic spring elements which would be liable to chemical attack of the salt or other condiment and tend to become unserviceable within a short time can be dispensed with.

In a preferred form of the invention the spring for holding the upper lid can be formed by a thin elastic partition wall between a pair of ear-shaped projections having bores for hingedly supporting the upper lid, an extension of the upper lid engaging this partition wall with mechanical tension. This permits a particularly simple and cheap production.

Advantageously the extension of the upper lid takes the form of an eccentric cam having two surfaces disposed at an angle to each other and tightly engaging the thin elastic partition wall in the closed or open position, respectively, in such a way that the curvature of the cam when passing over the thin elastic partition wall produces therein the spring tension required for opening and closing the lid snap-fashion.

Advantageously according to a further feature of the invention the lower lid consists of a single piece of elastic synthetic material, preferably polymerised ethylene, while the upper lid consists of a rigid synthetic material, preferably polystyrene.

Other and further objects,`features and advantages of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter and appear in the appended claims forming part of the application.

In the accompanying drawings a now preferred embodiment of the4 invention is shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation. l

Fig. 1 is an axial section of a sprinkling pot with atv2,833,447 Patented May 6, 1958 ice taohed closing lid having the invention applied thereto, in the closed position of the lid,

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the lid alone, in an open position,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View of the upper lid with the cam portion, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section of the lower lid.

The ldevice comprises a sprinkling container a and a perforated lower lid b hingedly connected with an upper lid c. A bulged annular portion d provided in the interior of thecyindrical collar of lid b engages in a complementary annular groove in the upper rim of the container a. As already described in the prior Patent 2,758,753, spikes or needle-points project from the lower side of the upper lid into the openings in the lower lid, which in its turn has spikes or needle-points projecting from its lower surface, between the openings, so that the shaking of the container causes the salt or sugar to be very finely oomminuted and divided.

The perforated lid b is formed with ear-shaped extensions for hingedly supporting the upper lid c, a thin elastic partition wall e being provided between the extensions f. An eccentric cam g is arrange-d on the upper lid c and formed with an inclined lower surface h, an inclined upper surface and a round portion k therebetween. ln a closed position of the upper lid c the lower inclined surface h tightly engages the upper surface of the elastic partition Wall while in an open position of the upper lid c the upper inclined surface i of the eccentric cam g tightly engage the upper surface of the elastic partition Wall e. As will be seen from Fig. 3, the eccen tric cam g is formed with a pair of bearing journals j for engagement in complementary recesses in the earshaped extensions f.

When closing the upper lid c, the eccentric cam 4g swings over the upper surface of the thin elastic partition wall e with frictional sliding engagement between its round portion k and said upper surface, until the lower inclined surface lc of the eccentric cam g tightly engages said surface, thus ensuring tight engagement of the upper lid c on the upper part of the lower lid b, in the closed position of the upper lid. The needle-points of the upper lid c simultaneously engage in the sprinkling openings of the perforated lid b so that my novel condiment sprinkler in this position of the lid c is tightly and safely closed. By the spring action of the thin elastic partition wall i the elasticity of the material is reinforced in such a way that on operation of the upper lid c the same snaps into its open or closed position respectively, under spring action, with the result that especially when closing the upper lid c any particles of condiment still adhering to the lower part of the lid b will fall off from the same.

As will be seen from Fig. 4, the cylindrical wall of the lid b is thinner below the bulbed portion al than above the same, in order to ensure easy slipping of the lid onto the container.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to a now preferred example and embodiment of the invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention that various changes and modications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A condiment sprinkler comprising a lower body member having a perforated cover and means for detachably securing the body member to a container, an upper lid member pivotally connected to a hinge portion of the body member to swing to and from closed position relatively to the body member, said members being engageable when the lid member is closed to form a seal between said members, spikes projecting downwardly from the lower side ofthe cover of the body member, and spikes projecting from the lower side of the lid member and positioned lthereon to penetrate the perforations in the cover of the body member when the lid member is closed, said hinge portion consisting of an elastic synthetic material and including a spring portion adapted to hold the upper lid member in its closed and open position, respectively.

2. A condiment sprinkler comprising a lower body member having a perforated cover and means for detachably securing the body member to a container, an upper -lid member pivotally connected to a hinge portion of the-body member to swing to and from closed position relatively to the body member, said members being engageable when the lid member is closed to form a seal between said members, spikes projecting downwardly from the lower side of the cover of the body member, and spikes projecting from the lower side of the lid member and positioned thereon to penetrate the perforations in the cover of the body member when the lid member is closed, said hinge portion consisting of an elastic synthetic materia-l and comprising a pair of earshaped extensions for hingedly supporting the upper lid and a thin elastic partition wall engaged under tension by an extension of the upper lid, for holding the upper lid member in its closed and open position, respectively. 3. A condiment sprinkler comprising a lower body member having a perforated cover and means for detachably securing the body member to a container, an upper lid member pivotally connected to a hinge portion of the body member to swing to and from closed position relatively to the body member, said members being engageable when the lid member is closed to form a seal between said members, spikes projecting downwardly from the lower side of the cover of the body member, and spikes projecting from the lower side of the lid member and positioned thereon to penetrate the perforations in the cover of the body member when the lid member is closed, said hinge portion consisting of an elastic synthetic material and comprising a thin elastic partition wall between a pair of ear-shaped extensions of the body member for hingedly supporting the upper lid while the upper lid is formed with an eccentric cam with two surfaces disposed at an angle to each other and a round portion therebetween, said cam engaging the elastic partition wall under tension, in such a way that the round portion when sliding over the thin elastic portion wall produces therein the spring tension required for opening and closing the lid.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 875,531 Kampfe Dec. 31, 1907 2,432,323 MacManus Dec. 9,'1947 2,758,753 Thiele Aug. 14, 195,6 

